Dictionary

inherit en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɪnˈhɛɹɪt/
• (US) audio

Etymology

From Middle English enheriten, from Old French enheriter, from Late Latin inhereditare (“make heir”). Displaced native Old English ierfan.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To receive (property, a title, etc.), by legal succession or bequest, usually after the previous owner's death.
   • When we took office, we inherited a total catastrophe. 2026 July 31, Donald J. Trump, quotee, “President Trump Hosts Historic Cabinet Meeting at Camp David”, in The White House, archived from the original on 31 Jul 2026:
   • ‘It's rather like a beautiful Inverness cloak one has inherited. Much too good to hide away, so one wears it instead of an overcoat and pretends it's an amusing new fashion.’ 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 5, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
   • After Grandad died, I inherited the house.
2. (intransitive, transitive) To receive (property, a title, etc.), by legal succession or bequest, usually after the previous owner's death. ▸ To come into an inheritance.
   • Lucky old Daniel – his grandfather died rich, and he's inherited.
3. (transitive) To take possession of as a right (especially in Biblical translations).
   • Your descendants will inherit the earth.
4. (transitive) To receive a characteristic from one's ancestors by genetic transmission.
   • Let's hope the baby inherits his mother's looks and his father's intelligence.
   • The couple had two daughters, Donna and Cathy. Donna was born without ectrodactyly, while Cathy inherited the condition, becoming the fifth generation of the Stiles family to be born with it. 2026 August 16, Sthitapragya Chakraborty, “Grady Stiles Jr., the “Lobster Boy,” Killed His Daughter’s Fiancé in 1978. Years Later, His Own Family Had Him Murdered”, in Skip Boring, archived from the original on 15 Aug 2026:
5. (transitive) To derive from people or conditions previously in force.
   • This country has inherited an invidious class culture.
6. (transitive) To derive (existing functionality) from a superclass.
   • ModalWindow inherits all the properties and methods of Window.
7. (transitive) To derive a new class from (a superclass).
   • For example, the following two code segments, from different assemblies, show how easy it is to inherit a class from another assembly. 2006, Daniel Solis, Illustrated C# 2005:
8. (obsolete, transitive) To put in possession of.
   • This, or else nothing, will inherit her c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

Forms

Antonyms

leave · leave · bequeath · bequeath

Deriveds

inheritour · inheritably · disinheritance · inheritage · inheritor · composition over inheritance · disinheritor · disinherit · uninheritable · coinheritance · inheritress · noninheritance · classical inheritance · inheritocrat · inheritance · inheritocracy · inheritance powder · inheritable · coinherit · inheritability · disinheriting · noninheriting · inheritrix · noninheritable · multiple inheritance · inheritableness · inheritance tax · reinherit · co-inherit · coinheritor · inheritee · inheriter · inheriting · noninherited · misinherit

Translations (122)

fi periä (to come into an inheritance) · pt herdar (to take possession of as a right) · gl herdar (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · sk dediť (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · vi thừa kế (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · fi periä (to derive from people or conditions previously in force) · de erben (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · pl dziedziczyć (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · ru унасле́довать (to come into an inheritance) · ru насле́довать (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · pl odziedziczyć (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · ast heredar (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · cs dědit (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · gmw-ecg aarm (to take possession of as a right) · el κληρονομώ (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · zh 继承 (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · es heredar (to take possession of as a right) · he יָרַשׁ (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · de vererben (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · ja 受継ぐ (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · gl herdar (to come into an inheritance) · gl herdar (to derive from people or conditions previously in force) · ang ierfan (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · ca heretar (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · cmn 遗传 (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · eo heredi (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · hu örököl (to derive from people or conditions previously in force) · kha iohpateng (to take possession of as a right) · ru унасле́довать (to take possession of as a right) · hu örököl (to come into an inheritance) · cy etifeddu (to derive from people or conditions previously in force) · gmw-ecg aarm (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · sk dediť (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · fi periä (to take possession of as a right) · eo heredi (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · hy ժառանգել (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · sl dedovati (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · nl erven (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · fi periä (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · pl odziedziczyć (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · sw -rithi (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · hy ժառանգել (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · wa eriter (to come into an inheritance) · pt herdar (to derive from people or conditions previously in force) · el κληρονομώ (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · sk zdediť (to derive from people or conditions previously in force) · bg наследявам (to come into an inheritance) · pt herdar (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · ang ierfan (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · cy etifeddu (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · hu örököl (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · vo gerön (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · cs zdědit (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · ru унасле́довать (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · ru насле́довать (to come into an inheritance) · ang ierfan (to take possession of as a right) · wa eriter (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · sk zdediť (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · de erben (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · hu örököl (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · uk успадкува́ти (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · it ereditare (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · it ereditare (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · ru насле́довать (to derive from people or conditions previously in force) · zdj urithi (to come into an inheritance) · ru унасле́довать (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · es heredar (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · ro moșteni (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · zh 繼承 /继承 (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · cy etifeddu (to come into an inheritance) · no arve (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · ar وَرَثَ (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · ru унасле́довать (to derive from people or conditions previously in force) · gl herdar (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · la heredito (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · sv ärva (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · cmn 承受 (to take possession of as a right) · grc κληρονομέω (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · oc eiretar (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · vo gerön (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · it prendere (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · sv ärva (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · hu örököl (to take possession of as a right) · gl herdar (to take possession of as a right) · wa eriter (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · uk успадко́вувати (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · el κληρονομώ (to take possession of as a right) · no arve (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · is erfa (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · ru насле́довать (to take possession of as a right) · ro moșteni (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · es heredar (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · uk успадко́вувати (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · fr hériter (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · fr hériter (to come into an inheritance) · sk zdediť (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · it ereditare (to take possession of as a right) · ms mewarisi (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · ru насле́довать (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · cs podědit (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · cy etifeddu (to take possession of as a right) · ca heretar (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · ro moșteni (to take possession of as a right) · cy etifeddu (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · pt herdar (to come into an inheritance) · om dhaaluu (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · sl podedovati (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · egy E9:a-F44 (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · ast heredar (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · bg наследявам (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · pl dziedziczyć (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · el κληρονομώ (to derive from people or conditions previously in force) · nl erven (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · ga faigh le hoidhreacht (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · gmw-ecg aarm (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · bg унаследявам (to receive a characteristic by genetic transmission) · hy ժառանգել (to take possession of as a right) · cs zdědit (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · pt herdar (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · uk успадкува́ти (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · fi periä (to receive property or a title by legal succession etc.) · de erben (to take possession of as a right)